


From the Sea

by Winterswild



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien Sex, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boys In Love, Fantasy, First Kiss, Hermaphrodite Piccolo (Dragon Ball), Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Love at First Sight, M/M, Mermaids, Mermen, Namekian Biology, Namekian Culture, Ocean, Ocean Culture, Ocean Guardian, Ocean Sex, Romance, Sea, Sea Guardian, Sea Monsters, Shounen-ai, Slow Burn, sea creatures - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:54:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29657871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winterswild/pseuds/Winterswild
Summary: ‘All in one angry moment, he thought of how weak he’d become in contrast to his companions, how the uselessness ate him up inside. Snarling, Piccolo looked around to orient himself but was faced with dark water and little else. He didn’t get a chance to find that irritating as iron limbs circled his torso, crushing any remaining bubbles of air from his chest. That strange alien face hovered only inches from his own, its deep green orbs dipping straight into his soul’~The Namekian/Merman love story nobody asked for.
Relationships: Piccolo (Dragon Ball)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	From the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> A Merman story
> 
> In this story Piccolo is a hermaphrodite but identifies as a male.
> 
> I don't own Dragon Ball Z.
> 
> Set after DBZ when Pan is a wee baby.

Gohan dropped through the canopy beneath him, careful to avoid any creatures on his descent. Keeping his chi low, he landed on the earth with no more sound than a drop of rain and pulled his too thin tie loose in the humidity of the forest. With soft footsteps, he tread lightly over dying leaves and made his way to the waterfall and the sounds of his daughter squealing in delight. Gohan’s face lit up when his brown eyes landed on Piccolo’s gentle, fanged smile as he swooshed Pan through the air, her arms and legs wiggling and little round belly protruding from the miniature indigo gi she had clearly been dressed in. The demi-Saiyan bit his lip at the tiny white cape trailing behind her and the little white hat falling off her head. He damn well knew it. 

The last time he had picked his daughter up, there had been a flurry of activity and she had appeared in the outfit she had arrived in, but back to front and Gohan had spotted the little white bundle on the floor. Sliding his phone from his pocket he sighed, knowing that even capturing this moment wouldn’t do it justice. He took a couple of photos, smiling at the result and already excited to show Videl just why Pan so loved her uncle Piccolo. The non stop laughing did a good job of keeping those long green ears busy and he reversed course for a few minutes before raising his chi and heading back towards them. 

His little girl sat gurgling and laughing in her sky blue bodysuit once again. Gohan smiled at Piccolo, wiping black bangs from his forehead and picked up his precious girl.

“Thanks Piccolo, I hope she wasn’t any trouble”

The Namek smiled ever so slightly, clearly in a good mood despite the unseasonably hot weather. 

“No more than you were, kid”

Before Gohan could wallow in the smile too long, it was gone. His mentor had resumed the undercurrent of mild aggression and annoyance, leaving Gohan to laugh inside at the contrary evidence he had in his pocket. 

“You’re invited for dinner tomorrow, I have some water already on ice”

He laughed a little at his own joke and Piccolo just grunted. Experience had taught him not to actually give Piccolo a choice in such matters. The Namek had an awful habit of saying no automatically, and after seeing the flash of regret too many times, he realised his tall friend needed someone to try harder. So he did. 

Piccolo snorted as the younger man took off into the sky, and he flashed a fanged grin at the little girl who flapped her hand around over her father’s shoulder, silhouetted by the beating sun. He pushed down the unwelcome torrent of affection and longing that struck the centre of his chest, jumping into the air to begin his meditation.

The Namekian remained silent for hours, unaware of the sun slowly setting and ignoring the piercing chirp of the insects that awoke to haunt the night. His mind always ached more after spending time with Gohan and his family, and he almost dreaded the meditation that would inevitably follow it. Sweat rolled continuously as he levitated, damp and sticking between his crossed legs and the fabric of his gi. He angrily tossed his turban to the side, where it landed with a perspiration filled thump. The sky had started its slow fade into black, with little stars teasing their presence behind the atmosphere, but it was still hot. Hotter, even. He sighed audibly, he had spent time training in the most inhospitable places on Earth and couldn’t fathom why now he was so uncomfortable and restless. 

He turned his face into the non existent breeze and in a rare display of kindness to himself, decided to go for a swim. The pool beneath the waterfall would be warmer than he’d like and he slowly drifted upwards, before flying East, towards the ocean. Piccolo enjoyed every moment that the air was forced into his face and snarled when the thirty minute journey ended all too soon and he was once again in the still, humid air. Only it was salty now, and he looked down below at the expanse of water, dark blue and churning, ignorant of the burning sky. He stripped his cape and gi quickly, grateful to be free of the heavy clothing. He dove into the water, his chi destroying the falling garments in his wake. 

Half a mile out from the shore, the rush of cool water had the expected effect on his body and he clenched his jaw to keep from exhaling in shock. Forcing himself to rely on only his strength, he pushed his chi down and readied himself for the challenge; he rarely swam long distances. Namekians weren’t known for their swimming ability, and without his exceptional strength and chi he’d probably avoid the ocean at all costs. Dende would be pulling a ridiculous face at his choice of pastime and he smirked into the ocean deep. The far reaching ocean looked surreal as he plunged, dark cerulean gave way to echoing black, shrinking away from the fingers of fading light at the surface. 

Creatures swam by as if he were no consequence at all and he remained there for a moment, his arms and legs kicking gently to keep him in position without his chi. His body cooled and he waited until his lungs started to burn before swimming back to the surface. The heat must have upset the sea because the waves were picking up and he could see their bigger cousins in the distance as he bobbed up and down in the water. Breathing deeply, all thick salt air, he began his front crawl. 

Time passed by and he concentrated on pushing his muscles, aching for that satisfying burn to begin. The moonlight guided him now, he had been swimming for hours but he had no real concern how many. He hadn’t even swam in a straight line, unable to direct himself with the volley of waves in the deep sea. Cursing, he considered using his chi to right himself and chastised his own weakness. Vegeta would be laughing his tiny little ass off at the mighty Namek’s plight, thrown back and forth by the salt water like a child in the tub. His considerable height did little to weigh him down and he bit back a snarl at the poor design of his kind. Even Gohan, as a boy, had made fun of his difficulty sinking and moving in the water without chi.  _ Dense little bastard.  _

He thanked whatever deity might be listening that he had enough muscle mass to move a mountain and plowed through the sea anyway. He’d be damned if he would be felled by the Earth’s elements and wouldn’t be stopped until he could swim no more. Switching to backstroke, he peered at the stars stretched out above, slowing his movements to catch his breath. The beauty of the planet had always charmed him, and he lay on the sea like it were the ground as his dark eyes took in its splendour. The noise of the churning water was deafening, and he closed his eyes, drifting. A moment later, he was underneath the water, swallowing gulps of the slimy salt and looking around frantically. 

Piccolo felt ridiculous to be caught so unaware and reeled back, kicking as an ocean beast heaved its great hulk over him, dragging the Namek along in its wake. The temptation to use his chi was incredible but he held back, twirling in the cold water to gain imaginary purchase. He was in no real danger but his heart thundered anyway, as if it were not in fact under his control at all. The beast appeared again, out of the dark depths, barrelling into him and he resisted the urge to hurt it. The Guardian in him, he supposed. He swore internally at that decision as it drove it’s whale-like face into his own, knocking his head so hard he bit his tongue and swallowed more disgusting water. His vision blanched and he couldn’t work out if the ocean had gotten darker or if he had been stunned, he tried to reach for his chi but couldn’t seem to grasp it. He frowned but felt relieved as the beast let him go, either by choice or ignorance, and he was left spinning in the depths. A small laugh escaped him, exhilarated. Gohan would be furious if he knew what his mentor was doing and Piccolo laughed again.

Any remaining air was pulled out of him when he opened his eyes to come nose to nose with another creature. This time, genuine alarm lit his dark eyes as it moved, far too quickly. It was gone, but for a moment he had seen its face. A humanoid face. His water addled brain decided to bail on the strange underbelly of the ocean and he started to swim upwards. His lungs were burning now, searing even and he couldn’t see the gentle light of the surface. A noise escaped his mouth in frustration as he battled with building concern that he couldn’t charge up and blast to the surface.  _ Get a grip Piccolo. _

All in one angry moment, he thought of how weak he’d become in contrast to his companions, how the uselessness ate him up inside. Snarling, Piccolo looked around to orient himself but was faced with dark water and little else. He didn’t get a chance to find that irritating as iron limbs circled his torso, crushing any remaining bubbles of air from him. That strange alien face hovered only inches from his own, its wide orbs dipping into his soul. Unwelcome fear reached for him and he mustered all his energy, everything he had, and still the thing had him. He’d need to breathe soon. He needed chi. The creature’s grip didn’t budge at Piccolo’s display of fury and concern, but the creature did. They moved at speed, he didn’t know in which direction but was embarrassingly relieved when they both met the open air. 

The thing held him vertically as they broke the surface, though it seemed to drop a little, holding Piccolo in the air like an offering to a petulant God. The Namek gasped for air, filling his lungs and making undignified noises as he spluttered salt and water from his mouth. Its arms remained around his waist, its hands splayed forcefully against the green ribbed edges of his back. Piccolo instinctively wanted to rear back and get into a better fighting stance, his mind struggling quickly to work out if it was just an angry fish or an evil opponent. Without thinking, his hands automatically went to the creature’s shoulders to steady himself and he grimaced at the feel of its cold flesh. It slowly lowered him so they were eye level. The Namek felt an inexplicable impulse to let it go, and absolutely no inclination to power an attack and kill it. In fact, he released its shoulders to paddle his arms in the water instead.

_ What the fuck? _ It was then his mind supplied him with an explanation. Kami, of course, had recognised it from his time as Guardian and had wrapped Piccolo’s violent temper in rattling confusion to prevent its untimely death.  _ Interfering old goat _ . A few more breaths and that intense peacefulness, not his own, forced his body to still. His own heart slowed, and the water sloshed against his tense biceps. It looked at him and he stared back, still not able to engage his limbs against its cast iron grip. He was transfixed, and he wondered if it were some magic, or Kami, or both. Green orbs, wide and endless in a pale face, captured his attention entirely until he realised he was sitting on something. He looked down, confused, but he couldn’t see through the churning sea.

He could feel however, and he was definitely straddling something. Something wide and smooth, wiggling up and down, he grimaced as his naked body provided him with far more tactile information than he’d like. He swallowed, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. An insurmountable rage bubbled in him at the predicament. The creature must have seen it in his eyes because suddenly he was released from its grip and he had to start kicking to keep himself afloat. He tried to raise his chi but it still wouldn’t come and some emotion must have shown in his eyes because the creature moved back a little before raising up out of the water. He could now see why it had easily subdued him. It wasn’t often he came across beings larger than himself, and its hulking, composed torso made him feel like a dumb, flailing fish in comparison. His limbs burned and he cursed the old man as if he were the reason for every calamity in his life.

_ It is not me boy. _

Kami didn’t usually speak in his mind, not unless it was gravely important. It made him pause and slowly, he started to wade away from the creature, thinking that it might be sapping his energy in some way. He continually reached for his chi but his mind seemed to find the idea repugnant, his body burning with the same revulsion and he snarled loudly. The water-being had disappeared and he felt an irrational fear; that it would suddenly lurch up from beneath him. He was on the verge of calling for Gohan when it did appear, grabbed him again and spun him. He found himself sitting fully on the creature now as it floated horizontally beneath him on the water’s surface. 

He flushed in both anger and embarrassment at being nude, but could not find the energy to create any clothing either. Nail had appeared on the fringes of his mind and now both of his fused Namekian mind mates were trying their best to soothe him. Like they were desperate for him not to harm the creature and he wondered if it was interfering with his mind. This apparent possibility only furthered his anger and he bared his fangs into the night sky. He looked down his nose at the creature moving steadily an inch or two below the water. It didn’t seem to be hostile just yet and he considered his shocking lack of options whilst he scowled at the water-being. It regarded him in turn, with neutral eyes.

The sea creature peered up through large pupils at the snarling, furious land mammal sitting on his stomach. Green hands with sharp talons pressed into his ribs where it steadied itself, and it didn’t seem to know what to do. In the moonlight, he could see its sharp features, with high, prominent bones in its face and long ears; so unlike any of the others he had seen, and avoided, in his lifetime. Patches of its skin were lighter in colour, reddish to his eyes, all over. He looked at its broad shoulders and considered it possibly dangerous, with strong, long legs that he found fascinating. The tiny little things at the ends with sharp claws kept brushing his tail as it waded in the water on either side of him. It’s appearance intrigued him and he had tried twice to identity its sex but remained none the wiser. It kept babbling in spoken word and he cocked his head when he realised it was addressing him. It sounded male. 

“I said, what are you?”

The creature didn’t respond, just wiggled slightly from side to side as they bobbed on the waves. Piccolo looked at its serene, handsome face and thought of those sea sirens Gohan had developed an obsession with years ago, that sang on the cliffs and shipwrecked the sailors. 

“Why can’t I raise my chi?”

Piccolo looked at the non comprehension on its stark features. He glared at the slightly pointed ears and gestured to them, leaning over to try to get it to understand.

“Can you hear me?”

…

“Do you understand?”

The sound of the sea answered him. Piccolo sighed, frustrated, not knowing if it even spoke at all. He prepared himself for the long swim home, hoping that his chi would appear at some point so he could fly. He was beyond exhausted but still too stubborn to call for help, especially naked. He glanced back at the long, thick tail that was keeping them afloat. It glistened in that ghostly way, in pale blues and silver. It made a noise and he whipped his head back around, cautious and curious. It was laughing, or at least he thought it was. A massive row of sharp teeth and seal like fangs longer than his own made him pale a little before sneering. 

“Oh you think this is funny?”

It grabbed him again, lightly but firmly and held him in the water as it came back to rest vertically. It placed a hand on his chest, and he tried not to notice that the talons were covered in a black substance he couldn’t identify. He realised that he should just swim away at this point and forget the whole ordeal but he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, he wasn’t sure. It gestured and breathed in, clearly wanting Piccolo to do the same. He paused but did as instructed, and he mentally frowned because he could guess why. For a second he thought about all the bad decisions he had made today but, like a blundering idiot, couldn’t bring himself to stop. A great big breath was inhaled and then he was under the ocean’s surface, grabbing onto the being roughly as they swam deep and fast. He looked at its face, or tried to with the rushing water passing between them but couldn’t discern anything. It held him away from its body this time and Piccolo was grateful, for all of a minute at least.

A curse left his lips, along with some important oxygen, as he tried in vain to keep his legs out of the way of the strong, beating tail as it moved up and down. The being seemed to notice and hoisted him up, drawing Piccolo flush against its torso, clearly expecting the Namek to wrap his legs around the top of it’s strange appendage.  _ You can fucking forget that sea demon. _

Then it had the audacity to slap his lower back, harder than Piccolo had thought it capable; he exhaled in surprise and looked indignantly at the sea creature. It’s eyes were fixated on something else and the Namek realised that their path ahead was blocked. Several beasts, he thought maybe they were sharks or one of those great big whale things that had head butted him earlier, lurked around but he could barely see them. He squinted, wanting to sense them but without his chi and this deep in the ocean, all he managed to achieve was to feel increasingly uneasy. The being slapped him again and frowned down at him as they stilled in the water. Piccolo closed his eyes and wrapped his legs around the creature, deliberately too hard and tried not to think about his burning chest. With its arms and tail free of its passenger, they soared through the sea so fast the Namek had to dig his talons in to keep from flying off. Seconds felt much longer but they passed through the endless group of beasts and then, they were slowly ascending. Piccolo was not pleased at the pathetic pace but couldn’t get free of the great big annoying fish to do much about it. 

Then, beautiful air met him and he gasped it in like he would never see it again. The creature breathed too and Piccolo looked at it oddly and accusatory, like it was stealing oxygen from the land folk. It let him go abruptly and the Namek quickly climbed up onto what looked like a boat, or what used to be, and tried to assess where they were. The ocean lapped at them from every side, snaking in rivulets into the wood itself and he yelled out loud in frustration. Of all the places it could have carried him, it had taken him to a tiny rock in the middle of nowhere. He paced around trying to muster his energy to take flight and braced himself for a confrontation in case the fish man decided to attack.

The creature watched him for several minutes and when Piccolo stopped, he was suddenly much more aware of his nudity. He looked around and spotted an old, horrid sheet and frowned but still took it. The dark mahogany wood of the boat looked ancient, and trinkets and objects were strewn everywhere, like a treasure trove of old junk. He wrapped the sheet around his waist and sat down, weary and confused. Some more sheets were on the floor of the remains of the boat, looking a little worn but oddly new. The creature went still and Piccolo glared at it, speaking but knowing he wouldn’t get an answer.

“Why didn’t you bring me to the shore?”

It climbed out of the water then, its tail gone and in its place two human looking legs. The Namek tried not to react but couldn’t help it, he had thought it finally trapped in the sea. It stepped up, unsteadily, water dripping from its pale, bluish skin. The creature was not at all perturbed at its own nudity and went about its business as if Piccolo wasn’t there. He watched it for a few minutes, as it proceeded to fetch things and bring them to the Namek. An assortment of precious stones and ordinary items landed at his feet and he looked blankly at them. It moved around some more. Piccolo was honestly so tired that he considered letting it eat him just so this confusing and embarrassing scenario could be over.

The being rubbed two rocks together, hissing at them and snapping its teeth. A fire lit from both rocks and he dropped them into a black bowl, a cauldron perhaps, filled with scraps of wood. Piccolo tried to raise his chi for the unmpeenth time and came up short. Even if he called Gohan now, his chi was low and he had no idea where he was. What if Gohan arrived and his energy vanished as well. Then there would be two hostages instead of one.  _ No, I’m not putting him at risk.  _ He thought about calling Vegeta, he didn’t mind putting the foul mouthed prince in jeopardy. Frowning at himself, he drew his long legs towards him, noting how cold he now felt. Where did the burning heat go?

He was a little grateful for the fire now building in the strange pot. He had been in the ocean for so long that even his bones had wrinkled. A brief, morbid thought of dying here made him look around for skeletons or half chewed corpses, perhaps if he threw a bone it would chase it.

The creature regarded the land mammal, who had wrapped itself in cloth as they so often did. In the gentle light he could see its skin was a vivid green, like many of the jewels he had found, and the patches of colour were pinkish on its arms and stomach. He knew it was likely cold, but seemed a great deal stronger than the sailors or swimmers he usually came across. The angry being was also trying hard to draw on energy that he could feel it repeatedly pull at the air, the sea and even himself but to no avail. It didn’t seem interested in the treasures and so he reached into the pool of water lapping at the bottom of the broken boat’s floor and pulled out a large fish. He offered it to the fuming jade creature but it still scowled at him and shook its head. He dropped the gasping thing back into the sea.

Piccolo was so incredibly thirsty. He knew drinking salt water would be unpleasant, unhelpful and entirely stupid but still considered it. He watched silently as the thing moved and returned this time with a book, handing it to the Namek. Piccolo took it, taking a moment to stare blankly at it. He moved his dark eyes to the creature, expecting an explanation but of course receiving none. Instead, he observed the book, allowing himself to appreciate its damage and obvious age before reading the title out loud.

“Jane...Eyre”

He wasn’t sure if he pronounced it right and looked at the other being as if to confirm it. Green eyes searched him and its hand raised to its throat and it hummed, pointing at the book. The sound was long and echoing, like a song. Piccolo blinked at the noise and did not get it, pointedly looking away as the sea creature stood, unabashed, in front of the seated Namek. It then sat down, clumsily and clearly unused to its legs, and shifted to sit next to Piccolo. The lack of fear it showed made the Namekian flush with yet more anger, yet he felt compelled to indulge it. Internally, he hunted for Kami in his mind, knowing the old fool responsible, while a pale hand pointed at the book and then put a hand on Piccolo’s own throat. The action made him swallow in confusion, and it hummed again. It took a few more moments, but the Namek eventually understood.

“You want me to read it?”

It didn’t respond. He considered throwing the book at its head but a sensibility somewhere deep in Piccolo wondered what might happen if he displeased it. His escape would be difficult with the thing’s superior swimming ability, maybe this would distract it. He opened the first page, noting how dry and salty it felt, and started reading. His deep voice rolled off the wooden structure, clearing his throat several times. It passed him a bowl of water and when Piccolo took it, he could clearly smell the salt but swallowed the water anyway. It was foul and he tried not to gag, knowing that it clearly didn’t know any better. Those green eyes waited for him to continue and he laughed a little, then immediately felt odd for doing so. At his chuckle, the creature bit its teeth together and smiled, sort of, and the Namek wondered if that passed for amusement. He licked his bitter lips and leaned back, the other being copying him, and continued. A distant familiarity probed into him, creeping along his skin, like that feeling Gohan had described as a child. For the life of him he couldn’t remember the name of it. Like a horrid sensation that this had happened before. He scowled mentally at the Guardian in his mind, just in case the memory belonged to him, since he seemed so fond of the creature. It couldn’t be his Sire, could it? 

Eventually, the sea creature seemed to fall asleep. The sheer trust it placed in him stunned Piccolo and he nearly jumped out of his skin when the scales on its legs fluttered and the tail conjured itself back to its lower half in one smooth motion. The creature rolled a little, flicking its tail and the tip of its long translucent fins as it settled into sleep. The Namek felt his own weariness intently and wanted badly to rest but he resisted, hoping this would be his chance to slip away undetected. He stared at the strange being intently to make sure it was sleeping deeply enough. It’s frame again surprised him, if stood, would be at least a foot taller than him, poised on a thick, muscled tail. There was a gentle bulge where he assumed the genitalia had disappeared into and he paused, before shivering at the odd direction of his thoughts, firmly dismissing them from his mind. Without thinking, he reached out a hand carefully to feel the scales, like a curious child, and they smoothed under his fingertips, much like the skin of a fish. He looked back up at the creature and its sea green orbs were looking back at him passively. 

Piccolo started and quickly removed his hand, it reached up, unperturbed at the attention and pulled him to lie down, before releasing him again. It obviously intended for them to sleep side by side. He called himself a number of foul names as he was forced, once again, to wait for it to sleep. When it did eventually drift off, Piccolo slid into the ocean quietly, swimming underneath the surface to put some distance between himself and the tiny island. Glancing back was useless in the poor light but he did it anyway. Breaking the surface, he pivoted his head and could see no evidence that the thing had followed. His energy remained absent, and so he continued to swim, exhausted and disturbed, for hours until he happened upon another tiny island in the distance and laughed, genuinely. Kame house sat in the sea, lit like a lighthouse, beckoning him home. 

\-----

Eighteen smiled to herself as she switched the kettle on, knowing that Krillin would actually have time to drink his tea this morning, since Sunday had finally come. The old man still snored and she frowned as the sound seemed to permeate the very wood in the house itself. Marron would be bounding down the stairs soon too and she braced herself with a hot cup of coffee for the onslaught that never came. Instead, tiny footsteps had thundered into her bedroom, to jump onto her husband instead. She breathed in the ground coffee, holding it on her tongue, and walked through the front door to sit outside. It was hot again, and she had worn a pair of denim shorts and a white vest to allow her ageless skin to make the most of the sun. 

The door opened swiftly and she stepped out onto the shore but came to an abrupt halt. The cup cracked slightly in her steel grip as she gripped it in surprise. Half on the beach and half in the sea lay a very still Namekian. He looked dead and her blonde hair sashayed as she risked a glance to her bedroom window. Thoughts of her own fondness for the surly green giant crossed her mind as she reluctantly went to drag him fully onto the island, dead or otherwise. The pressure of her cool hands made him start but instead of yelling he only managed a mouthful of salty slime and sand, and when she pulled him up to a kneeling position, she laughed in relief as he coughed the brown sludge from his mouth. The water still lapped his legs and she patted his back as he continued to empty his lungs and stomach. 

He looked like absolute shit, or so Krillin had loudly stated, when he had come running outside with a towel after glancing out of the window. At first, he had seen Piccolo, naked and on his knees, then he had seen his wife, and he had to empty his mind of ridiculous thoughts before he realised something must be wrong. He draped the towel over the tall Z fighter, trying not to pay too much attention but still noting the man’s alien features, his tall figure, and blushed as he turned away. Eighteen noticed and spared a contemptuous glance at her husband’s childish behaviour. Piccolo walked, feeling rotten and like he had soaked up the entire ocean, into the small house. He held himself as rigid and as upright as he could manage, hissing at the old hermit as he entered, not caring in the slightest that he was an intruder in the humble home. The earlier influence of Kami had made a blissful departure, and he felt free to be as cantankerous as he liked. 

His chi still wouldn’t come and he frowned. He needed to clothe himself for a start and he wasn’t going to humiliate himself by asking for something from Krillin, or having one of the two fly him anyway. Eighteen followed him into the house, watching as he tried to turn the old brass tap with a large clawed hand. Krillin fetched a couple of bottles of chilled water from the fridge before the Namek destroyed his kitchen and Piccolo all but snatched them out of his hands. The former monk spoke, clearing his throat and laughing nervously as the water was consumed rapidly.

“So big guy, what happened?”

Piccolo paused to breathe, stifling the urge to vomit the water he’d just swallowed. He wasn’t sure what to say exactly, but had unfortunately developed a begrudging respect for the couple over the years, so he’d have to say something. 

“I’m not exactly sure. Something...has drained my chi”

Eighteen crossed her arms but remained expressionless.

“Why did you wash up on our shore?”

He paused again, making his next comment seem false.

“I was swimming”

She raised a brow at that but didn’t comment. He was allowed to swim, it’s just that she hadn’t realised he was partial to it, not at night and not, so far, in their little patch of the sea. Krillin gestured for Piccolo to sit down but he remained standing, despite the extreme ache in his limbs.

“Did someone attack you? Is it something we should be worried about?”

Piccolo shook his head, crossing his burly arms over his exposed chest. He felt unpleasantly self conscious in just the towel. The movement made him sway and Eighteen grabbed him by the elbow, to his chagrin.

“No, well, not exactly. It’s not  _ evil _ but, I don’t know...I’ve never seen anything like it before”

It occurred to him then that given their location, they might have.

“It was humanoid, well, half anyway. Some kind of sea creature, seemed sentient but didn’t speak”

He watched them carefully for recognition but only received wide eyes from Krillin, and predictably nothing from the android. Krilling probed a little further.

“You mean...half human? Did it have a tail?”

Piccolo narrowed his eyes, assuming that the question meant that they knew of the creature.

“Yes”

There was a pause.

“Sounds like...maybe you were hit on the head or…-”

Krillin didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence as Piccolo moved to swipe the half smile off his lips. His wife intervened, sensing that the conversation was going nowhere.

“I take it you still can’t raise your chi?”

He nodded, grumbling under his breath.

“Then take the guest room upstairs, maybe a few hours sleep will remedy that. Then you can fly home unless you’d like Krillin to drive you?”

Piccolo bared his fangs at the prospect and made his way upstairs, Krillin’s voice following.

“Third room on the right!”

Eighteen pursed her lips as she heard the man’s weight move across the floorboards of the first floor.

“How odd”

Krillin nodded and poured himself a coffee. Honestly, a part of him worried about the big green warrior. It wasn’t like Piccolo to fall for flights of fancy, or be easily felled, and by something that might be on their doorstep no less.  _ A merman, heh, who’d have thought. _

Piccolo had slept well into the evening without meaning to, and woke up to the gentle tones of Gohan drifting through the window. He felt for his energy and sighed in relief as it surged inside him. If he had been more frivolous, he’d have felt delighted. His gi appeared on his prone form and he stood, letting his joints crack and that horrid feeling of exhaustion dissipate. He listened, turning a long ear towards the open window, catching the demi-Saiyan mid sentence.

“-strange, maybe it’s something we should look into then. Dende might know something at least, though I’d be surprised if Piccolo hadn’t thought of that”

Krillin responded after slurping some liquid noisily. 

“Well, he might not have, he was pretty out of it when he washed up here. I don’t think he knew it but he was slurring his words”

Piccolo flushed violet at that, his mouth hanging agape in humiliation. Eighteen’s smooth tones joined in the conversation.

“It had quite an effect on him, I thought he was dead when I found him. His chi was no more than a butterfly’s”

Gohan grumbled something and Piccolo realised that he still had water in his ears. He swore under his breath, going to the window to shout down at the trio when something else caught his eye. There, lurking in the gentle waves of the rolling ocean, was the calm gaze of that blasted sea creature. He bared his fangs and jumped through the window, landing gracefully onto the sand below, making Krillin jump and drop his beer bottle. Gohan braced himself and then followed Piccolo’s gaze to the darkening sky, then to the surface of the waves. He didn’t see anything. Reaching out with his chi, he felt nothing but the odd fish or crab, maybe even an octopus. 

Gohan frowned. He daren’t suggest that his former mentor imagined it, but the thought had occurred to him. His thin shirt was a little too thin for today’s sea breeze, despite the blistering heat the day before, and he crossed his arms whilst Piccolo stared into the darkness. The jade warrior nearly made a noise of surprise when Gohan spoke.

“I guess it’s a little late for dinner now but...why don’t you drop by tomorrow instead?”

He turned to face the taller man, smiling in a way which made Piccolo snarl. 

“You don’t believe me”

Gohan laughed, embarrassed.

“Of course I believe you!”

Piccolo took a few steps forward, materialising his cape and turban as he moved but hesitated, turning back to Krillin and Eighteen.

“Thanks”

Krillin simply looked dumbfounded as the Namek jumped into the air and in a moment, he was gone. The demi-Saiyan exhaled loudly, watching the tiny dot dissipate into the night. 

\-----

The next day was another hot one, and Piccolo would have thought about how unnatural and irritating the weather was but the only thing he could think about was that damn creature. He couldn’t meditate, couldn’t sleep, he didn’t even want to train. The sun sat high in the sky, large and round and as annoying as ever. Piccolo opened his eyes but refused to give up the meditative position. He wasn’t some undisciplined child, he had berated Gohan enough times for such behaviour and here he was, acting up. Closing his eyes again, all he could see in the darkness of his lids was those large, sea green orbs peering up through the surface of the water. 

He stood, stretching his legs in exasperation and started walking. He generally didn’t enjoy walking, it was an inefficient way of getting to a destination or appreciating the landscape, as far as he was concerned. If pressed he would admit he did admire the fauna, as it passed in lush displays along the bank of the river. He did also appreciate the dappled shade of the old arching trees that dangled their leaves in his path, brushing his skull, stroking the weighted pads of his cape. There was a pleasant sort of scent, different to the waterfall, as he continued on. Dark eyes looked at the river flowing gently, and little animals playing and swimming, ignorant of his power. Just happy to be alive. He frowned at their innocence. 

Mountains braced the valley and he supposed that from the ground, their majestic peaks did have an effect on him. They encouraged humility and stillness. A halt to the whirring mind. Not that it was doing much good. A part of him did hope Gohan wouldn’t turn up randomly and catch him taking a stroll, he was aware that the boy had developed a habit of sneaking around these days. As if the thought of it had magical powers, he realised that he couldn’t really feel his own chi. He stopped abruptly, just shy of a wilting willow branch ahead of his nose. 

Piccolo tried to raise his energy once again but to no avail and cursed, loudly enough to make birds flutter up in their escape from the noise. 

“For fuck’s sake!”

He blinked, trying to still his rapidly beating heart, and turned towards the river. A few insects tickled along the surface and an otter had passed a few minutes ago but nothing else happened. He inched towards the water’s edge, irritated at his own reticence and also grateful there were no witnesses to how careful he was being. 

He waited, unmoving. 

Seconds rolled into minutes and the warm air was making his skin prickle. Nothing happened.

He gathered his energy and it came in floods. Frustrated and confused, he launched from the dry soil into the air, straight towards the Lookout.

Dende stepped outside of the Palace and made his way to the edge of the stark, white platform. He had been expecting a visit from the taller Namekian but not quite this soon and hastily dismissed Mr Popo, who had already started fussing. Piccolo touched down gently but his demeanor echoed with violence, he spared barely a glance at the Guardian before storming into the Palace. Dende had just enough time to open and close his mouth, but little else. His ebony eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled.

Piccolo marched through the Lookout’s interior, its familiarity always irked him, but not today. Today, he would find out everything the old man was hiding from him. His cape whipped the library’s majestic door frame but he barely paused, walking straight through the towering room and to the back, through another hulking entryway. He looked around quickly, cursing his lack of patience. This room was smaller, carved out of the stone itself, and on every wall the ancient books sat, untouched. His clenched fists started to ache and he closed his eyes, calming himself down. The Namek was certain the thing had followed him, however briefly, venturing further inland into fresh water. But why?

He spared a moment to mutter a silent ‘Fuck you’ to the Kami inside his head and opened his eyes. The book might be familiar to him, so he just scanned the spines in his view. He had instinctively known to come to the Guardian repository so perhaps his subconscious would also know exactly why. Minuted passed and then he saw it, a thick leather bound book on the room’s West wall. It looked unimportant but since he had nowhere to start, he plucked it from the shelf with his claws anyway. Its age reminded him of the silly Earth book the creature had given him to read, but he dismissed the thought and started flicking through the pages.

The language was unfamiliar, obtuse even and even with Kami’s memories he didn’t recognise it, perhaps even he wasn’t old enough to remember these words. He turned the pages, paying attention to the sketched images of creatures and goblins, hoping that this wasn’t some child’s fairytale book that had been misfiled. Eventually, he sat down at the creaking old desk. A fleeting memory of sitting here before, in another lifetime, with the same candlelight aiding him came unbidden to his mind. It might have even been the same book. He scoffed to himself at the odd thought. He found himself moving slowly so as not to damage the paper and sighed, it was taking forever. 

In hindsight he could have tasked Gohan with this, but then, there was that strange possessiveness. Like this was his problem, his monster. He didn’t want to endanger anyone but really, he wasn’t even close to the strongest on the planet. Maybe that was why. It had been a long while since he felt so interested in a foe, one that he could potentially challenge alone. Why he felt the need to do a background check first, he had no idea.

Another turn, and there it was. A sketch of that creature, or at least one that looked very much like it. It stood tall on its thick tail, hair billowing, holding some kind of spear. The image was faded and grey but somehow Piccolo just  _ knew _ this face had green eyes when it was drawn. He moved his green fingers over the picture reverently for a moment, then felt ridiculous. The words surrounding it were indecipherable to him, so he closed the book and took it with him. Dende was still standing on the Lookout but Piccolo didn’t stop to say goodbye, or stop to notice the younger man’s knowing look. He would feel a little guilty for that later, but he was a man on a mission, and he couldn’t be stopped. 

Capsule corp looked ugly to him as he neared it, the white globe looming over the landscape in an affront to nature itself. He landed in a fluster, feeling more and more foolish as the day went on. Vegeta’s chi peaked and then petered off, and the Saiyan quickly appeared in a sweaty mess at the door. The Namek rolled his eyes, he had little interest in a tit for tat discussion with the smaller warrior. 

“What do you want Namek?”

“Bulma”

Vegeta raised a still damp brow at the blunt statement.

“She’s taken”

Piccolo growled and sighed at the same time and pushed the laughing Saiyan out of the way. Vegeta considered teasing Piccolo some more, he rarely had the chance these days, but he caught the other man’s expression. He yelled without taking his eyes off the Namek.

“Bulma!”

The scientist appeared with a wide smile at seeing Piccolo, which soon turned to puzzlement as she realised he was alone. She glowered at Vegeta as he stomped down the corridor and turned to regard the man towering over her. 

“What’s up Piccolo?”

He handed the book to her and she grabbed it, but he hesitated and didn’t let go. His words came out low and mumbled.

“I need you to translate this”

She pursed her lips and peeled his long fingers from the leather, peering up at him for him to continue.

“Please”

“Why? We’re not in danger are we?”

“No, and it’s...a personal matter”

She brushed her hand on her blue jeans, wondering just how old the dust was. Once upon a time she'd been frightened of the once Demon King, but now her wariness warred with her curiosity. Then it occurred to her.

“Oh! Is this about the merman?”

Piccolo huffed angrily, licking his fangs in irritation.  _ News travels faster than I do, apparently. _

“It’s...yes.” He frowned at the word merman, it sounded awfully platonic. “Page 305, in the middle”

Her wide eyes regarded him for a moment, then her face broke into a wide grin.

“Sure, I’ll see what we can do!”

“Uh, thanks”

He turned and left before she could tell him how long it might take. 

In the end, it took her archaeology and archives department over a month, but it hardly mattered by then. 

\-----

Nightfall came and Piccolo had already visited Gohan to take a rain check on dinner, again. The demi-Saiyan had frowned, true to his teacher self, but accepted the Namek’s poorly put together lie. He knew his mentor couldn’t lie well, not outside of battle, and it had been difficult enough to pretend to believe it. Piccolo either hadn’t realised or hadn’t cared and flew towards his waterfall. A whole thirty minutes had passed, long enough for Gohan to be enjoying dinner with his family, and Piccolo could wait no longer. If he’d have been in his right mind, his own lack of patience would have alarmed him but he fashioned a short blade anyway. It was Namekian in design, similar to Nail’s favourite commemorative knife that used to live in his little home, once upon a time. He tucked it into his belt. He knew it would be some time before the text was translated, but he would do his own research in the meantime. 

The journey to find the tiny island with the shipwreck did take a while, but he started where he had originally encountered the creature, and made circles out from there. The wood looked gnarled and its groans reached him even from his high position in the sky. Dark eyes cast over the ocean for any sign of the sea monster, but found nothing. Then, he never had seen it coming. Long legs stepped lightly onto the broken ship, careful not to make too much noise in case it was close. The treasures it had were now back in an open box, the book now on top of a pile of similar looking literature, on the shelf and on a velvet padded chair. Everything looked out of place, like it had been collecting things at random. The sheets were gone, or at least he couldn’t see them anymore and he couldn’t dispel the feeling that it didn’t actually live here. 

_ Of course, it probably lives in the sea. _

But then it had breathed in the open air. He muttered to himself, translating the book’s passage first could have answered a lot of these unnecessary questions. The sun had set an hour ago, and Piccolo was using his chi to light his way, but decided to light one of the candles that sat precariously on one of the cabin’s shelves. He might not be able to sense it but maybe, it could sense him. The soft light felt gentle, it gave the place a feeling of agelessness, like it could have sailed its final voyage last year or a thousand years ago. He smirked as he realised that the same could be applied to the creature; it could be a descendent, or the original. Kneeling down, he opened the cupboards carefully, interrogating the contents whilst listening intently for any disturbance. More trinkets tumbled out, making a cacophony of noise that made Piccolo inhale sharply. His dark eyes were drawn to the last object that came rolling out, the orange sphere coming to an abrupt stop at his knee. A Dragonball. 

He picked it up, checking for any others. Maybe it knew of them and wanted a wish, every villain did, why not this one? He sighed audibly.

_ If it’s a villain at all. _

Something inside his chest had told him loud and clear, that he had never thought it dangerous at all.

_ But why? If you know something old man... _

The lapping water answered him whilst Kami remained silent, and he twirled the ball in his hand. From his position he could see the spines of the novels, a combination of fiction and dictionaries, nothing of note. That feeling of foolishness was returning. Returning here wasn’t a particularly bright idea and he hadn’t learned much, except that it had probably accidentally found a Dragonball. He jerked, his ears identifying that the water had changed its rhythm. He dropped the Dragonball but realised he didn’t have time to cover his tracks, so instead leapt to take flight. Only of course, he didn’t go anywhere. It had been close for a while then, he had been able to fly earlier after a few seconds when he suspected it was in the river.

_ Fantastic. _

Instead, he moved deeper into the boat’s wreckage, climbing through the broken bough to a gap that he could slide through and into the water. He held the dagger but hoped to not have to use it on the creature, it would probably be a quick death, but a pointless one.

It slid effortlessly from the water onto the cabin floor, its shimmering scales flickering as its lower half adopted its humanoid legs. Piccolo held his breath as he watched, flooded with an unusual curiosity. It had a mass of black hair that he hadn’t noticed before, that looked thick as it shook its head. He was too far to see it’s eyes but could see it was regarding the boat with interest, or more likely, suspicious that it had received another visitor. Piccolo narrowed his eyes at its lack of alarm and bit his tongue as he saw another dragonball in its large hand. It  _ was _ collecting them. Piccolo calmed his mind before making a decision, the Earth didn’t need more of this bullshit. He braced himself to leap out but faltered when the being looked directly at him. It made a motion with it’s hand, beckoning him. 

_ You are joking. _

It had known then, that he was here all along. Piccolo climbed back towards the creature in irritation, pulling the knife out just in case, but stopped short and kept his distance. It was taller than him, and bigger, but Piccolo was a trained fighter. 

_ I can take him. _

It smirked, or something like it, baring long, white seal like fangs. Then it spoke, with words that were awkward and heavily accented. 

“I am sure you can”

Piccolo tightened his grip on the knife while his heart thundered. Could it read his mind too?

_ I knew you could fucking understand me. _

It turned its back to the Namek, in a display so trusting it was suspicious, and retrieved the other dragonball from the floor. It turned towards Piccolo and held them out in its large hands. The bright orange of the balls looked glaring against the dark grey of its claws. 

It cocked its head at Piccolo’s confused expression. 

“For you”

The Namek stared, not really comprehending. 

“What?”

It moved towards him, making Piccolo take a step back, he held the knife out in warning. 

“Yours”

It seemed unperturbed by the weapon, which did not make Piccolo feel at all comfortable. At least this time the nudity wasn’t bothering him. This was a battle now, most likely, and he knew exactly how this story goes.

“Why do you have them?”

Green eyes narrowed and its gaze wandered up and down Piccolo’s form as it searched for the words.

“A gift”

Piccolo blinked. If this was a trick, it was an odd one. He stood straighter, getting irritated.

“In exchange for something?”

It seemed to react to that statement strangely, as if it were embarrassed or had been caught red handed. 

_ So that’s it. You do want something. _

It shook its head and placed the dragonballs back in the cupboard, along with the items that had tumbled out earlier. It’s clawed hand picked up a book and he moved to give it to Piccolo.

“Read”

The Namek was dumbfounded and was wondering if he possessed the patience and the skill set to deal with this situation, again. There was clearly little or no fight to be had here. So why _ am _ I here?

His reply came out a little rougher than he intended. His mind was trying to calculate how far he was from the shore, at least he knew where he was this time. 

“Why?”

It procured a maroon cloak from someplace behind a broken door, and clipped it across its broad chest. Piccolo raised a brow at how it looked without any other clothing and his dark eyes wandered, when he glanced back up the creature was looking at him intensely. His cheeks immediately started burning and he coughed to cover his face. 

“I remember your tongue”

Piccolo’s brow creased as he considered the stunted words. 

“From my reading to you?”

It nodded, its face lighting up in such a pleasant way that Piccolo had to look down to avoid being drawn in. The Namek wondered if it had some innate ability or perhaps it was more intelligent than he had given it credit for. Or, was this some elaborate fool’s errand? It gestured to the floor for Piccolo to sit down and for some God forsaken reason he did. Then it occurred to him that if it can speak, afterall...

“Do you have a name?”

The maroon cloak brushed him as it sat down, close enough that heat radiated from its bluish skin, which was now pressed up against his own clothed thigh. Green eyes turned to him and now he could see dark lashes, and it suddenly looked so human he swallowed. It smiled at him. 

“Caspian”

Piccolo smirked at the accented word. 

“Of course it is”

_ Is that where you’re from? _

He didn’t voice the question, catching himself before he felt too comfortable. It was already so close to him as to be problematic in the case of an attack, but something in his bones told him that he didn’t need to worry. Maybe it was the way it looked at him, like Gohan had, once upon a time, looked up at him with complete trust as a young boy. How Pan did now. Although, from his position he could clearly see that it was, indeed, an adult male and not an innocent little girl.

“Your name?”

The question caught the Namek by surprise and he blurted out the answer.

“Piccolo”

Caspian repeated the word back to him, forming a question with it as he pressed the book into jade fingers. The sea creature’s baritone voice had an odd, almost singing lilt to it. 

“Piccolo, please read to me”

Despite everything, the Namek felt confronted by the fully vocalised request, it somehow felt oddly personal and direct. The book was a different one this time and he read the title out loud, not worrying about the pronunciation.

“The Time Machine”

_ At least this one might be interesting. _

As Piccolo flicked to the first page and started reading, Caspian leaned over and the Namek realised he was reading and listening simultaneously. The proximity of the other male was unnerving but as if he had taken one step and was determined to go the whole mile, Piccolo just let it happen. 

And that is exactly what happened, every evening, for the next six days. Piccolo would arrive at the rickety little ship against his better judgment, still bringing the knife and plenty of water. He deluded himself that it was in the interest of keeping the Earth safe, or simple curiosity. He would ask Caspian questions and then he would read out loud. The creature would then depart and Piccolo would meditate until he could fly home. Caspian had either realised or instinctively knew that the Namek needed time to regain his chi, but when questioned he didn’t seem to understand. Gohan was becoming concerned, and Piccolo knew that he was bordering on disturbing territory, because even his student couldn’t deter him from his new interest.

On the fourth night, Piccolo arrived as the sun was setting, and it cast the wreck in a soft glow that made Caspian’s green eyes look amber. His smile always lit up the small cabin and Piccolo found himself smiling back, albeit for only a second each time. He supposed he had gotten used to the predatory set of teeth, that probably ripped things in two when he wasn’t here. The creature’s vocabulary was improving rapidly, had even made jokes and Piccolo had actually laughed. He called the Namek things, though he wasn’t sure if they were compliments or insults. His favourite new descriptor of the evening was ‘haughty’. 

On the seventh day, he realised that he had started to look forward to it. Perhaps the creature had cast some spell to lure him there, night after night. Throughout the day he thought of little else, even while training. He had started to notice things, as well, which he ordinarily wouldn’t pay any attention to. Like Caspian’s muscled frame, his biceps moving beneath the strange, glittery skin, speaking smoothly with his strong jaw. The treasures he collected, the books he preferred, even the way he would look at everything in nature like it was a prize only he had won. Piccolo wasn’t a fool, he knew what this was. Obsession. An unhealthy infatuation that was entirely inexplicable, and unwanted. 

And he could do nothing about it. 

When he arrived at the boat, Caspian was already there, though he remained in the water. Piccolo landed softly and nodded his greeting. Green eyes regarded the Namek in the fading light, the soft planes of his smooth jade skin and the sharp, delicate features of his forever frowning face. He laughed, earning him a wry look from his visitor. 

“It pleases me that you continue to come here”

Piccolo grunted.

“I bet”

The silence lingered for a moment, and Piccolo could feel his mind begging.

_ Please don’t ask. _

His plea was ignored. 

“I wonder why you do?”

The Namek searched for an answer, not having one despite having ample time to see this question coming.

“I like to read”

He closed his dark eyes at his own weak statement, and he didn’t see Caspian’s smirk as he dipped under the water. He had learned not to push the Namekian too far, as he was prone to great displays of temper and was unreasonable for hours, so he remained quiet. The jade warrior was a peculiar creature to him, so similar yet so different from the harmony of the sea, so righteous in its anger. So gentle underneath.

“Join me?”

Piccolo frowned. He had avoided getting back in the sea since their first disastrous encounter, and it had become something of an elephant since then. 

“Why?”

“I want to show you something”

Piccolo desperately wanted to protest but the weakness he felt around this creature was maddening, he felt pliable. Caspian opened his arms as if the Namek might jump into them. He sighed and removed his cape, turban and shirt, but stubbornly kept his ki bottoms where they belong. Sliding into the water, he followed as Caspian swam underneath the submerged rear of the boat, and a few meters beyond the tiny island. The ocean stretched for miles in every direction and Piccolo looked at his companion questioningly whilst he waded in the water. All he could smell was salt these days.

Caspian looked towards the setting sun and, eventually, it dawned on Piccolo. They were here to appreciate the view, and what a view it was. Oranges and reds spread into the sea, reaching far and still warm. They couldn’t see it from the boat, not without climbing on top, and of course Caspian couldn’t fly. Piccolo thought of the wondrous things he could show the other man if he could use his chi, then immediately felt foolish. His thoughts were interrupted by strong arms circling his waist from behind. Piccolo stiffened and waited, but no attack came, instead his back was gradually pressed into a warm, broad chest. Only so he didn’t have to keep himself afloat, probably, but it felt intimate and invasive. 

“You don’t have to...do that”

Caspian smiled and basked in the sun’s glory.

“I know”

Piccolo swallowed dryly but resigned himself to enjoy the sunset, to enjoy the moment, just this once and forced his body to relax. Caspian felt the rigidity dissipate and his ocean heart fluttered, but he thought it best not to show it, or embrace him any further. The bones of the surly young creature felt steely and full of sorrow in his arms, like he had not been allowed to feel happiness often enough. Caspian wallowed in the feeling, it had been such a very long time since he had been close to anyone, but he resisted the impulse to hold tightly. He didn’t want to scare the handsome land mammal away. 

The ninth day brought talk of Namek and Namekians, Saiyans and earthlings, the Z Senshi and everything in between. He was careful not to mention the Dragonballs but couldn’t help talking heatedly about past battles, about Gohan, and delighted in Caspian’s gentle laughter even though he couldn’t determine exactly what was so funny. After regaling the sea creature with the story of defeating Cell, and how Gohan had shocked them all with his power and determination, Caspian asked an odd question. Or, to Piccolo at least, it was odd.

“Are you male?”

Piccolo faltered slightly, before mumbling half an answer.

“Not exactly, although I think of myself as male”

Caspian smirked at the awkward answer and decided to take it at face value, since Piccolo looked like he might have a stroke if probed any further. 

“I am male”

Piccolo chuckled under his breath, his voice rumbling with an uncomfortable mix of humour and embarrassment. 

“Yes, I can see that”

Caspian looked down at himself, as if completely surprised by the comment, forgetting that with his humanoid legs he had a lot more on show. Piccolo looked away, and missed Caspian’s amused expression. The sea creature stood and ventured further into the boat, scrambling around. He reappeared with a tiny red gem in his hand which he somehow clipped onto the broach fastening of the cloak he had taken to wearing. Maroon fabric, firm and formal, coated his form. It looked like a uniform of some kind, with a complicated pattern of navy blue woven into the material. Piccolo’s dark eyes widened in surprise. Caspian quickly explained. 

“To make you more comfortable”

The Namek felt a little bad, as if he had insulted the other creature in some way, but he’d be lying if he said that he didn’t prefer it. He knew his own modesty was somewhat exaggerated but he had never come across a being so blissfully unaware of the concept. His ebony eyes glanced over the uniform and for some reason, it looked familiar to him.

“What is that exactly?”

Caspian opened his mouth, but hesitated, not knowing the exact words. 

“It is my...designated clothing”

That sounded close enough to the word uniform, so he continued, puzzled. 

“For what?”

Piercing green eyes regarded the Namek, and for the first time since they had run into each other, Piccolo felt Caspian deliberately hesitate, as if he considered lying. 

_ Capable of deceit after all, are we? It’s about time. _

“I am the ocean’s...watcher”

He said it slowly and quietly, as if divulging some state secret. Piccolo wondered if perhaps, in his own watery way, it was.

Then as if recalling some half remembered dream, Piccolo cocked his head.

“You mean...you’re the...Guardian”

“Exactly”

The Namek’s gaze fell to the wooden floor, and his cheeks flushed with anger. 

_ The ocean has a Guardian? Shouldn’t I fucking know this sort of thing? _

He had walked right by Dende barely a week ago and the little interfering mite had not uttered a single word to him. Of course he had known, had watched and laughed, no doubt. He felt like a fool. Of course, Kami would know as well but had said absolutely nothing, maybe even kept the information from him. 

_ But why? _

Caspian moved closer to the Namek, who’s mood seemed to have suddenly plummeted. He cursed himself for revealing the information, he had known that the land earthlings could not be trusted, what if this verde creature betrayed him? The land mammals took a long time to trust, and still stabbed each other with short swords in the end. His green eyes darted around in mild panic, not only had he endangered himself but all the souls who relied upon his firm hand. 

He braced himself, drawing up to his full height. Piccolo looked up, uncrossing his arms in surprise at Caspian’s hard, piercing gaze. 

“What is it?”

Caspian remained silent. Piccolo swallowed, the air had turned and he was forcefully made aware that this creature was larger, stronger, and for the first time, angry. He bared his fangs, hoping that it made him look less like a seahorse having a sit down, and slipped his hand into his belt. He had always brought the knife, always known not to take this new friendship for granted.

_ Friendship. _

The word tittered in his mind like toxic waste and he snapped his teeth together. He was such a fool, this was why he kept to himself. Caspian watched as Piccolo’s face went through its tumult of emotions, and he purposefully listened to all of the whispered sentences in the Namek’s sizzling mind.

He took a moment to work through the quick language and half realised thoughts, but eventually, his face softened. He knelt down, to bring himself closer to the seething young man, and reached out to take the heart shaped face in his hand. Piccolo instantly drew up the knife and held it against Caspian’s throat, but the sea Guardian ignored it like it was nothing but plankton. 

“Please, Piccolo, I mean you no harm”

The Namek growled, leaning the knife ever closer into the Adam's apple bobbing faintly underneath blue skin. 

“How the fuck should I know that? I’ve been foolish to let things get  _ this _ far”

He pulled the knife away, intending to leave once and for all and put an end to this ludicrous fantasy. Caspian’s grip tightened in response but his eyes remained kind.

“I am your friend”

Piccolo shoved him back, putting some much needed distance between them, even as an awful lump formed in his throat and chest. He dived into the sea, and it took him hours to swim to shore. All the time his heart thundered and he felt vile, thinking of nothing but his own foolishness. 

Piccolo didn’t visit the next evening and the disruption to his new, happy rhythm didn’t go unnoticed. Gohan touched down onto the wilting grass with Pan in hand, sparing a concerned glance to his mentor. Piccolo screwed his eyes shut for a moment, hoping that the demi-Saiyan would take the hint, but the sound of the little girl’s excitement was hard to ignore. He opened his eyes and unfurled from his meditative position with a sigh. Pan toddled over to pull at his indigo pant leg and Gohan smiled at his daughter, who was as adoring of the Namek as he himself had been as a child. 

“You’re...not busy this evening then?”

Obsidian eyes narrowed at the obvious, leading question. Gohan had been tracking his chi then, although it didn’t surprise the Namek it did irritate him a little. 

“Busy enough not to answer stupid questions”

Gohan nodded, his brown eyes sparkling in amusement. He had in his hands two books and he passed them to Piccolo with a grin. The Namek only looked blankly at the offering. 

“You, er, asked for any books related to the sea”

Fangs appeared for a moment as Piccolo remembered, and he completely resented the reminder of that damn sea monster. 

“Right, thanks”

The demi-Saiyan sat down in the grass as Pan chased various insects through the wildflowers. 

“A new hobby then? I don’t think I’ve actually seen you read before. I mean I assume you can-”

“I can fucking read Gohan”

Gohan laughed nervously at Piccolo’s souring temper.

“I know, but why the sudden interest?”

“What’s it to you?”

Tanned hands absently plucked grass from their roots, plucking them even as he was plucking up his courage.

“Is it for the merman?”

Piccolo snarled, wondering if his personal life had been spread all over the planet while he’d been gone. _ For fuck’s sake. _

“Gohan”

The younger man sighed at the warning tone, suspecting that something had happened. Piccolo’s attitude, although relatively normal, reminded him of Videl after he had pissed her off. Of course he had followed Piccolo, briefly, just to check exactly what kept bringing the older man to the middle of the ocean every night. It wasn’t exactly unusual for one of them to run into trouble or, let’s be honest, get killed. He hadn’t spied for long but he had seen enough for his curious mind to erupt into all sorts of thoughts on the matter. 

The merman was tall, alien and strong but striking in appearance. It had taken Gohan by surprise at first, expecting to see a brought to life cartoonish illustration from one of Pan’s picture books. It had made him wary for a moment, at least until the towering man had looked at Piccolo like he was the most precious pearl in all the world. It didn’t take much brain power to see the situation for what it was. His mentor wasn’t in danger, at least not in the simplest sense of the word, but he was definitely out of his depth. 

“I haven’t seen you for a while”

Piccolo gritted his teeth at the indirect accusation. He had felt bad about blowing Gohan off earlier in the week but the desire to see Caspian had become an unreasonable one, and like a sap he had allowed it. 

_ Not anymore. _

“Well, I’m free from now on, so stop complaining”

Gohan blinked at that and opened his mouth to make a noise in thought. He had been right, then. The teacher in him came to the surface, used to counselling unruly students. 

“What happened?”

“ _ Nothing  _ happened”

The younger man’s ears could barely understand the words, they were growled with such venom. Gohan looked up at Piccolo with eyes that shouldn’t be as wise as they were. The Namekian sighed and sat down in the grass with his student. Behind his aggressive facade, he felt his chest burn with emotion. Then without meaning to, he blurted out an explanation. 

“He’s the guardian”

“What?”

“Of the sea”

Gohan raised a thick eyebrow in confusion, at the surprising information and also at not being able to understand why it was so upsetting. 

“I didn’t realise the ocean had one”

“Neither. Did. I”

The professor pursed his lips.  _ Oh, it’s because you didn’t know. _

“You feel deceived?”

“Yes! He had ample opportunity to tell me. He chose not to”

Gohan swallowed his chuckle. It was typical of Piccolo to take even the smallest thing so personally. 

“Maybe he didn’t realise it was...so important?”

This earned him a burning stare. 

“Uh - I mean, did you tell him you are fused with a previous Guardian? 

“Why would I?”

Gohan didn’t respond, hoping that Piccolo would see that he had perhaps answered his own question. 

“I know what you’re getting at,  _ boy _ , and that’s not the point. When he realised what he had said, he considered killing me - or trying to, anyway”

The demi-Saiyan didn’t know what to say to that, except that it didn’t really make sense. It wasn’t as if it was some great secret, except-

“Humans haven’t always been very accepting of you, have they?”

Piccolo huffed at the change of topic.

“What about it!?”

“Maybe he has reason to be cautious, I mean, I know what humans would do if they found a merman and especially, what, the Lord of the sea? If he’s the guardian, who knows how old he is or what he’s seen-” 

He paused for a breath.

“- you’re so used to being the alien...the outsider, but I haven’t heard or seen anything like him, maybe he’s alone”

Piccolo watched Pan jumping up and down in the shallow water as he digested Gohan’s words. It was all speculative, a best case scenario that was the Son’s trademark, but, it could just as easily be true. Maybe Caspian had jumped to the defensive because he had told someone, once, and it had ended badly. That blasted word,  _ friend, _ spoken in that baritone sing-song came back to haunt him and he swallowed grimly, rubbing his eyes. Gohan raised a hand to pat the Namek’s arm in sympathy. 

Piccolo mulled over the situation for almost twenty four hours, meditating and pacing, before grabbing the books and taking flight. He arrived at the unsteady boat a little early and as his soft shoes touched down his thoughts took an unsettling turn. What if Caspian would never return? Thirty minutes became an hour and the sun started to lose its battle with the sky while Piccolo was losing the battle with his nerves. The too strong emotions regarding the other male were wreaking havoc in his mind. He clutched the stupid books in his hand. Stars started to make their presence known above and he laid down to look up into the night sky, anything to avoid looking at the lapping sea. Fatigue pulled at him as the hours wore on, having meditated intensely for so long, and his anxiety turned into a deep set worry. Manifesting in a sickly feeling that he hadn’t experienced since watching in horror as Gohan faced Cell. Midnight arrived with no drama, and the stars simply sat there frozen in time. Not a single one of them gave a fuck about Piccolo or Caspian, or anyone, and he scowled at them. 

When Caspian eventually arrived, he slipped from the sea in silence, the salt water dripping from his broad chest. He cocked his head in affection as he found the Namekian asleep with his arms crossed, like he had drifted off in a terrible temper. He climbed up onto the boat quietly, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to look at his Namekian companion. His beautiful long legs crossed at the ankle, the defined bones in his handsome face, the plump pink contrasting with deep green. Caspian had been full of sorrow that his Piccolo wouldn’t return, and felt an unbearable rage that he had added to the young creature’s already painful life. And, of course, had felt quiet sadness, because he wouldn’t be able to love him. Because like all creatures of his kind, he had fallen in love at first sight.

**W.**

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> The rest of the Z senshi will feature heavily in the next instalment


End file.
